


Let Me Take Care of You

by scarletsaber (sushibunny)



Category: Free!
Genre: Haru Takes Care of Makoto, M/M, Makoto is a Terrible Sick Person, Post-Canon, Pretending Not to Be Pining, Sickfic, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, happy birthday makoto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-17
Updated: 2016-11-17
Packaged: 2018-08-31 12:37:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8578810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sushibunny/pseuds/scarletsaber
Summary: After receiving a text from Makoto, Haru immediately knows his best friend is sick, and heads over to take care of him. Too bad Makoto is the worst at letting other people help.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little something for Makoto's Birthday! Not exactly sure how this ended up in Haru's POV, but this way there's more confused pining, so there ya go. Enjoy :)

**From: Makoto** ****  
**Thursday 8:15AM** **  
** Morning Haru-chan! I’m not feeling well, so I can’t come get you this morning. Please don’t stay in the bath all day and miss your classes  =( ^>w< ^)= Ttyl!

 

Haru stared at the phone in his hand for a few seconds before dragging himself from the tub, much earlier than he had planned- much earlier than Makoto would have offered his usual hand as well. It was pure luck that Haru had left his phone in the bathroom and within easy reach and that he had heard the message chime go off as he sat in the bath. Otherwise he wouldn’t have gotten Makoto’s message for hours and would have wasted precious time in his new mission for the day: 

Taking care of Makoto.

Most people would take the message at face value, accepting that Makoto was just running a little behind, maybe with a runny nose and the sniffles. But Haru knew better. 

Makoto was terrible at being sick. He refused to acknowledge it until he reached the point of being unable to get out of bed- and even then it still wasn’t a guarantee. He was self-sacrificing to a fault and hated to feel like he had forced others to take care of him. So Makoto would feign health until he physically couldn’t any longer. Haru rolled his eyes at the thought; and people called him stubborn. So for Makoto to admit he wasn’t feeling well… 

Haru hurried to get ready a little faster.

It only took a few minutes for Haru to dress and grab his backpack. He hesitated a moment before veering off into his kitchenette, knowing Makoto’s would be sparse and void of any ingredients he would need. He’d still probably have to make a stop at a grocery store sometime, but at least he would be able to make rice porridge when he arrived. Haru slipped on his sneakers and grabbed a coat and headed out, reaching back inside for a scarf before the door shut on him. No matter how sick he was, Makoto would still nag him if he went outside in the middle of November without one.

Once on the train, Haru emailed his professors and coach, taking the day off. He was sure Makoto would protest such a thing, which was why Haru had no intention of telling him about it. Maybe he’d even get lucky and Makoto would be too delirious to notice. Perhaps that wasn’t the nicest thing to wish upon his best friend, but Makoto was the worst person to take care of when he was sick yet well enough to still deny it; really, it would be the best for both of them if he was past that point.

Thankfully Makoto’s apartment was only a few stops away and close to the station, which Haru was grateful for for multiple reasons. One being the icy wind that had picked up seemingly as soon as he exited the train car. The other- and slightly more pressing reason- was that the longer Makoto was left to his own devices, the less time he was likely to be resting and getting better. 

Haru picked up his pace as he maneuvered through the crowded streets, making good time before finally climbing the stairs to Makoto’s apartment. He used the spare key Makoto had given him- since Makoto actually locked his apartment door- and slipped inside and out of the cold without further ado.

The apartment was dark, only the dim shine coming from the night light in the open bathroom shedding any light on the one room living space, the curtains still drawn shut. Haru slipped off his shoes and hung up his coat by memory as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark room. Once he was able to make out the lump on the futon, he quietly moved further into the apartment, setting his bag down on the kitchenette counter before padding over to his sick friend.

Kneeling down, it was immediately obvious to Haru that Makoto was indeed quite ill. He was curled up under multiple blankets yet still obviously shivering and there was a slight sheen to his visible skin even in the faint lighting. Haru sighed, feeling vindicated in his decision to come take care of Makoto, but also saddened that Makoto was so sick in the first place.

“Hey, Makoto,” he whispered, brushing the hair from Makoto’s forehead so he could gauge his fever better. It wasn’t as hot as he first feared, yet it was definitely elevated. He would have to grab a cold cloth when he got the chance.

“Mmm? Haru?” Makoto’s voice was low and raspy and not at all like his usual cheerful self.

Haru frowned, continuing to run his fingers through Makoto’s hair as he struggled to open his eyes. He knew the feeling comforted Makoto from past experience, and he would gladly do anything to help his friend considering the poor state he was currently in. And if Haru enjoyed feeling the soft hair filter through his fingers, that was just an added bonus.

“I told you I was fine,” Makoto slurred, blinking heavily up at Haru as he tried to frown, though any power the look of disapproval would have had was lost when he fell into a coughing fit.

“And I know better than to listen to you when you’re clearly sick.” Haru moved his hand down to Makoto’s back, rubbing soothing circles as his friend continued to hack, curling further in on himself. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“N-nothing,” Makoto said between coughs, “I’m f-fine.”

Haru gave him a deadpan look. “Makoto.”

Makoto sighed, leaning back onto the mattress once his coughing fit had passed. “I’m just a little hot is all. And cold. And my throat hurts a bit. And my head is kinda pounding- just a little though. I’m probably just overtired is all. Too much late night studying.”

Rolling his eyes, Haru pulled the blanket back up to Makoto’s chin. “Rest. I’ll bring you some water.”

“Haru, you don’t have to-”

“Rest. Let me take care of you for once.”

“...Alright.”

Haru got up to get Makoto some water and a cold compress- after watching Makoto intently to make sure he would stay put for a few moments. Makoto was asleep again when he returned, so he placed the glass next to the futon and the wet cloth on his forehead and headed to the kitchen to make the porridge. Hopefully Makoto would be able to keep it down. It wasn’t what Haru had planned to cook for Makoto that day, but he supposed it couldn’t be helped.

He managed to get Makoto to eat half a bowl and take some medicine he found in the bathroom when Makoto woke up a few hours later. Makoto had tried to wave Haru off, insisting he didn’t need to be fussed over. A trip to the bathroom where Makoto almost stumbled and crashed into a wall damped his protests, if only slightly. 

After another nap, Makoto’s fever seemed to break, resulting in blankets being kicked off roughly in his sleep. Haru watched in slight amusement from his spot at the low table where he was working on his assignments as Makoto tossed and turned as he tried to escaped the tangled blankets in his sleep. Haru took pity on him when he began to whimper and pulled the offending items off, letting Makoto drift back into a more peaceful slumber.

It was turning into evening when Haru woke Makoto next, deciding it was time for him to eat something.

“Hmm, Haru? What time is it?” Makoto asked groggily, rubbing his eyes as he sat up.

“Almost seven.” Haru held a plate out in front of him towards Makoto, eyes averted to the side. “Here.”

“Eh, what…?” Makoto’s eyes went wide, gaze darting from the food to Haru and back. “Haru… Did you make this for me?”

Haru knew the heat he felt on his face wasn’t from a fever. “Obviously.” He continued to refuse to look at Makoto, eyes fixated on a point on the wall. “Hurry up and blow it out already.”

“Ah! Right, sorry!” Makoto gave a surprisingly healthy looking smile to Haru before leaning down and blowing out the candle set in the middle of the mound of rice shaped like a cat head. “Thank you, Haru-chan.”

“Only you would get sick on your birthday,” Haru muttered, finally looking back over to his friend. “And no -chan, even if you’re sick.”

Makoto chuckled, and only devolved into a small coughing fit that time. “Yes, yes. I’m sorry you had to spend the day taking care of me. It must have been a huge inconvenience for you.”

“If it’s Makoto I don’t mind.”

“Haru…”

He definitely couldn’t look at Makoto when he used that tone of voice- something about it spoke of things Haru wasn’t sure he was ready to face yet. Soon, though. “Eat your dinner.”

“Yes, Haru.” Makoto took the plate with a grin, hesitant to ruin the cute cat face, but eager to eat after having had nothing for most of the day. “Is this… curry?”

“I made a weak curry sauce for it. Green. It’s your birthday, after all.”

“Thank you, Haru! You make the best green curry!”

Haru turned away again in an attempt to hide his blush. Really, he should just stop looking at Makoto altogether; save himself some effort. “Eat before it goes cold.”

“Of course!”

His eyes slid back over as Makoto ate, watching with fondness at the unconcealed joy on Makoto’s face as he devoured the small meal. It made him feel warm and kind of fuzzy, and he almost wondered if he was catching Makoto’s cold. 

Once he finished, Haru took the plate away and made sure Makoto drank some more water and took another dose of medicine. At the protests that he was feeling fine, Haru lifted his hand to once again feel Makoto’s temperature, forgetting that it was a very different thing to do when that person was awake and staring intently at you.

Haru froze, hand pressed to Makoto’s forehead as the two stared at each other in surprise. His hand slowly slipped down, along the side of Makoto’s face, and Haru could only watch in mild horror, seemingly having lost the ability to control it. Much to his surprise, Makoto’s hand came up and held his in place against his cheek for a moment, giving Haru that kind smile he somehow knew was reserved only for him.

“Thank you again for taking care of me, Haru. I’m happy you did.”

Haru flushed again, pulling his hand back once Makoto let go. It felt much warmer now than Makoto’s face had for some reason. “It’s nothing.”

“Well, I still appreciate it. Whenever Haru does things for me.”

He didn’t know what to say to that, or to the tender look in Makoto’s eyes that Haru had been noticing more often lately. “...You should get some more rest. Or no cake tomorrow.”

Makoto’s eyes went wide. “Ah! Cake?! Is it chocolate?”

Haru rolled his eyes, biting down on the smile that threatened to break through. “Go to sleep, Makoto.”

“Fine. But there had better be chocolate!”

Haru shook his head in amusement as he watched Makoto settle back into bed.

“Haru… Stay the night? You shouldn’t go outside when it’s late and cold, especially if you’ve been around a sick person all day.”

Haru really needed to get a handle on the whole blushing thing. “...Fine. But we’re having mackerel for breakfast.”

“Yes, yes.” Makoto turned over, curling up under a single blanket this time. “Not like it’s  _ my  _ birthday or anything,” he muttered, almost too softly for Haru to hear.

“What was that?”

“Nothing! Goodnight, Haru-chan!”

Haru just sighed deeply before getting up to do the dishes. He tidied up and did some more homework until he was tired enough to sleep- and if his gaze wandered over to Makoto’s sleeping form while he worked, it was only to keep an eye on his friend, and not to wonder what it would be like to finally put a name to the warmth spreading through his chest every time he caught sight of tousled brown hair, kind green eyes, or a gentle smile.


End file.
